Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

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Book Synopsis

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

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Review

* Non-Spoiler Review*

This was my first book by Margaret Rogerson and I absolutely adored this story. I am usually not the biggest fan of Young Adult Fantasy, but Rogerson writing and world-building were amazing. You are introduced to Elisabeth an apprentice librarian who is working her way towards being a ward of a great library. These great libraries are full of grimoires -magical books that are dangerous and have oodles of personality.

While a Magister – a sorcerer, comes to visit, Elisabeth is curious to see what they are like in person. Being well known as someone who tends to cause chaos wherever she goes, she ends up accidentally knocking a bookcase into the visiting sorcerer. While Nathaniel the sorcerer is understanding about the accident, her actions set off a series of events which leads her to be sent to the magical council as a potential suspect in the murder of her Director of the library.

This book had everything I loved, magic, mystery, well rounded would building and likeable main characters and even supporting characters. The story had a good pace, there were impressive fight scenes and a sweet romance elegantly added to the story. To be honest, I was sad that the story ended, and sadly there will be no sequel to the story – end though I think one more book would have been nice.

Overall, a great YA novel that I would recommend to anyone wanting to start out in the fantasy genre or who needs a good story.

Spice Rating: 1/6 – See my rating system here

Book Rating: 4/5